Verzbicas Added to NYRR Deuce Record Challenge – Two-time Foot Locker Cross Country champion going after long-standing U.S.high school two-mile record

NEW YORK – A U.S. high school two-mile indoor record attempt by scholastic star Lukas Verzbicas (left, PhotoRun) of Orland Hills, lll., has been added to the NYRR DeuceRecord Challenge at the Armory on Saturday, February 12, 2011.

The race already features a national-record attempt by the USA's most decorated middle-distance runner of the last decade, Bernard Lagat. The announcement of the twin record attempts was made by New York Road Runners officials.

The high school mark of 8 minutes, 40.0 seconds, set by Gerry Lindgren on February 15, 1964, is one of the longest-standing national marks in the sport. Lagat, 36, of Tucson, Ariz., who already holds four national indoor records, will be taking aim at the 21-year-old mark of 8:15.02, set by Doug Padilla in 1990.

Verzbicas, 18, a senior at Carl Sandburg High School who has committed to running collegiately at Oregon, has been the #1-ranked high school distance runner in the country for the last two years and holds the national high school indoor record at 5000 meters.

Both Verzbicas and Lagat will have pacers. Robby Andrews of Virginia and former Stanford All-American Russell Brown will pace Lagat, while former Georgetown standout Liam Boylan-Pett will pace Verzbicas.

The NYRR Deuce Record Challenge will be the featured attraction of the NYRR Saturday Night at the Armory III collegiate meet at the New Balance Track &Field Center at the Armory.

The race can be watched live at www.armorytrack.com beginning at 8:00 pm.